Postcards of the USSR, Happy New Year congratulating the country, is a special layer of the visual culture of our country. Retro postcards drawn in the USSR are not only a collectible, an art object. For many, this is a memory of childhood that has been kept with us for many years. It is a special pleasure to look at Soviet New Year's cards, they are so beautiful, cute, creating the mood of the holiday and children's happiness.
The first Soviet postcards
In 1935, after the October Revolution, the Soviet Union began to celebrate New Year again . And small printing houses began to print greeting cards, reviving the traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia. However, if earlier on postcards often there were images of Christmas and religious symbols, then in a new country all this fell under the ban, and postcards of the USSR fell under it. They did not congratulate Happy New Year, it was allowed to congratulate comrades only on the first year of the October Revolution, which did not really inspire people, and such cards were not in demand. It was possible to lull the attention of the censors only with children's stories, and even with propaganda cards with the inscriptions: "Down with the bourgeois Christmas tree." However, such cards were printed very little, so cards issued before 1939 are of great value to collectors.
Since about 1940, Izogiz Publishing House began printing circulations of New Year's cards featuring the Kremlin and chimes, snow-covered Christmas trees, and garlands.
New Year's wartime cards
Wartime, of course, leaves its mark on postcards of the USSR. Happy New Year was congratulated with encouraging messages, such as “New Year's greetings from the front,” Santa Claus was portrayed with a machine gun and a broom sweeping the Nazis, and the Snow Maiden was bandaging the wounds of soldiers. But their main mission was to support the spirit of the people and show that victory was near, and the military was expected at home.
The publishing house "Art" in 1941 issues a series of special postcards, which were intended to be sent to the front. To speed up printing, they were painted in two colors - black and red, there were many plots with portraits of war heroes.
In collectors' collections and in home archives, one can often find imported postcards from 1945. The Soviet military, having reached Berlin, sent and brought with them beautiful overseas Christmas cards.
Post-war 50-60s
After the war, there was no money in the country, people could not buy New Year's gifts and pamper children. People rejoiced at the simplest things, so an inexpensive, but touching postcard has become very popular. In addition, a postcard could be sent by mail to relatives in any corner of a vast country. The plots use symbols of victory over fascism, as well as portraits of Stalin as the father of the people. Many images of grandfathers with grandchildren, children with mothers - all because in most families fathers did not return from the front. The main theme is world peace and victory.
In 1953, mass production of postcards in the USSR was established. Happy New Year to congratulate friends and relatives with a postcard was considered mandatory. A lot of cards were sold, of which they even made crafts - caskets and balls. Bright, thick cardboard was ideal for this, and other materials for creativity and crafts were difficult to get. Goznak printed postcards with drawings by prominent Russian artists. During this period, the heyday of the miniature genre fell. The storylines are expanding - artists have something to draw, even despite censorship. In addition to traditional chimes, they draw planes and trains, tall houses, depict fairy-tale heroes, winter landscapes, morning performances in kindergartens, children with candy bags, parents carrying a Christmas tree.
In 1956, the film "Carnival Night" with L. Gurchenko was released on Soviet screens. Scenes from the film, the image of the actress become a symbol of the new year, they are often printed on postcards.
The sixties open with Gagarin’s flight into space and, of course, this story could not fail to appear on New Year's cards. They depict astronauts in a spacesuit with gifts in their hands, space rockets and moon rovers with Christmas trees.
During this period, the theme of greeting cards expands, they become more vivid and interesting. They depict not only fairy-tale characters and children, but also the life of Soviet people, for example, a rich and plentiful New Year's table with champagne, tangerines, red caviar and the indispensable Olivier salad.
Postcards V.I. Zarubina
Talking about the Soviet New Year's card, one cannot fail to mention the name of the outstanding artist and animator Vladimir Ivanovich Zarubin. Almost all of those cute, touching hand-drawn postcards created in the USSR in the 60-70s. created by his hand.
The main theme of the cards was fairy-tale characters - funny and kind animals, Santa Claus and Snow Maiden, ruddy happy children. Almost all postcards have this story: Santa Claus gives gifts to a boy skiing; a hare stretches with scissors to cut a Christmas present from a Christmas tree; Santa Claus and a boy play hockey; animals decorate the Christmas tree. Today, these old Happy New Year postcards are collectibles. The USSR produced them in large quantities, so there are many of them in the collections of the philocarty (this is collecting cards).
Postcards of other famous Soviet artists of the miniature genre
But not only Zarubin was an outstanding Soviet artist creating postcards. In addition to him, many names remained in the history of fine art and miniatures.
For example, Ivan Yakovlevich Dergilev, called a classic of modern postcards and the founder of the production. He created hundreds of images printed in millions of copies. Among the New Year's eve, one can distinguish a 1987 postcard depicting a balalaika and Christmas toys. This card was released in a record-breaking run of 55 million copies.
Evgeny Nikolaevich Gundobin, Soviet artist, classic postcard miniature. His style is reminiscent of Soviet films of the 50s, kind, touching and a little naive. On his New Year's cards there are no adults, only children on skis, decorating a Christmas tree, receiving gifts, as well as children against the backdrop of flourishing Soviet industry, flying into space on a rocket. In addition to the images of children, Gundobin painted colorful panoramas of New Year's Eve Moscow, iconic architectural signs - the Kremlin, the MGIMO building, the statue of the Worker and the Collective Farm Girl with New Year's wishes.
Another artist who worked in a style close to Zarubin is Vladimir Ivanovich Chetverikov. His postcards were popular in the USSR and entered literally every home. He portrayed cartoon animals and funny stories. For example, Santa Claus surrounded by animals plays the balalaika for cobra; two Santa Clauses shaking hands at a meeting.
Postcards from the 70s and 80s
In the 70s there was a cult of sports in the country, so many of the cards depict people celebrating a holiday on the ski or ice rink, sports cards for the New Year. The USSR in the 80th hosted the Olympics, which gave a new impetus to the development of the plots of postcards. Olympians, fire, rings - all these symbols are woven into New Year's motifs.
In the 80s, the photo genre of the Happy New Year is also becoming popular. The USSR will very soon cease to exist, and the arrival of a new life is felt in the work of artists. Photo replaces hand-drawn card. Usually they depict Christmas tree branches, balls and garlands, glasses of champagne. Images of traditional crafts - Gzhel, Palekh, Khokhloma, as well as new printing technologies - foil stamping, volumetric drawings appear on postcards.
At the end of the Soviet period of our history, people will learn about the Chinese calendar, and images of the animal symbol of the year appear on postcards. So, for example, Happy New Year cards from the USSR to the Year of the Dog were greeted with an image of this animal - photographic and hand-drawn.